Ball hails Dyche for keeping Everton up

Former Everton defender Michael Ball has paid tribute to manager Sean Dyche.

Victory over Brentford has secured Everton's Premier League status for another season.

Ball wrote for the Liverpool Echo: "Three wins on the bounce is fantastic and we couldn't have asked for any more. The players have shown their willingness to put the work load in and it shows that they care they don't go out there to play poorly or make mistakes.

"We had three-and-a-half months of torture but credit to Dyche, he told them to keep at it. You can tweak tactics and formations but it's all about mentality and desire.

"It's been a joyous week to be an Evertonian even Luke Littler was getting in the act at the darts but we'd forgotten how this feels. We've had three years of uncertainty, panic and worry and it's so hard to get yourself going.

"You don't want to be talking negatively about the club that you love. You want to be positive and talking about us doing great things.

"I've got to hold my hand up and thank Dyche and the players for stepping up to the plate. Dyche has had to deal with a lot, with both the things we know and a lot more that we don't know about the inside of the club.

"For him to face the media over issues on and off the football pitch must be difficult and while he's pointed out that this isn't his first rodeo, that experience of both himself and his coaching staff has been shown over the last couple of weeks. He's not used the points deductions or the turmoil upstairs with the proposed takeover dragging on as excuses which many managers could have done and might have been given sympathy for as the football club is still an absolute mess right now and we don't know what's going on."